TGS Life 20/08/2016

PUNE, AUGUST 20-26, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

MEET THE YOUNGSTERS WIELDING THE PEN'S POWER

PG 8-9

THINKING OUT-OF-THE-BOX

PG 12-13

CLASS APART PG 14

SG

2

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

STAGE

From Shillong, with love

Tipriti Kharbangar and her bandmate Rudy Wallang are geared up for a power packed performance at the High Spirits this weekend

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

I

ndie band Soulmate from Shillong is all set to belt out their soulful numbers this weekend at High Spirits. The two-piece band comprising of Rudy Wallang and Tipriti ‘Tips’ Kharbangar, derives its inspiration from blues, blues-rock, soul, rock-n-roll, funk and Tipriti’s gospel roots. Their songs have evolved from Shillong blues, to love and longing in their second album Moving On, and the third album Ten Stories that pays a tribute to their decade-long journey together.

They write songs based on life experiences and their interpretation of dealing with the

hurdles coming their way. “We write about life and everything else that inspires us, be it love, sorrow, pain, nature, or people,” says Rudy.

They have a handful of originals that have created a wave amongst music enthusiasts and spreading the blues culture across the nation “Soulmate is 14 years old now, but initially it was difficult getting gigs. There were hardly any blues band in the country, and people didn’t know much about this genre. It was after two to three years that we finally got an audience that enjoyed blues. Our intention was to spread awareness about this genre that was long neglected,” he adds.

The band gained nationwide recognition and popularity within jazz and blues circles

in India after they became the only band to represent the country at the 23rd International Blues Challenge organised by The Blues Foundation of America. After that, there was no looking back. Tipriti was the Best Female Vocalist, while Rudy grabbed the award for The Best Guitarist at Jack Daniels Rock Awards.

“Music is in our blood. We have been into this since childhood. Our fathers too were musicians in their time. We have been on a high pretty much since we first started performing in 2013. We travelled the world, played for so many people everywhere, and are still playing and turning people on to our music and the blues,” says Rudy.

They derive inspiration from the bands that

they have been listening to since childhood like the Beatles, Elvis Presley, and many more. “The blues was introduced to us later on in our lives but the fact remains that all the people that we listened to, came from the blues. We didn’t intentionally choose the blues, the blues chose us,” he adds.

The duo is now busy working with a young choir in Shillong, prepping up for the Shillong NH7 2016, where they will be presenting a brief history of the blues. They are also recording their new songs that may become a part of their next album.

When: August 26, 9 pm Where: The High Spirits, Koregaon Park zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

When music discovered him Prepare to start your weekend on a high note as this young, Pune-based artist shows you how to have a good time

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

O

nce he began playing the guitar and jamming with his friends, Gulshan Jethwani almost instantly knew that music is all he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Hailing from a family that was deep into the business world, they were obviously reluctant about his decision and for the initial months he struggled and survived on his own, trying to prove a point. Today when he has quite a few projects at hand, has appeared on shows like MTV Indies and is doing quite good for himself, his family is assured that he probably made the right choice. A part of TMKC Band, the young boy has recently begun to perform on his own and loves every minute of it.

It was when he moved to Pune to study that he was introduced to the world of music through his friend Lakshya Bhatnagar.

He now knows how to play the guitar and percussion instruments like djembe, cajun and the mandolin. “TMKC was formed because

we wanted to enter a competition. Once we started jamming, we had a lot of fun and even people started appreciating our music. This is when I figured out that this was my true calling. I realised that this is something I could do for the rest of my life,” shares Gulshan. He then thought that since he was already writing and composing his own music he should try his hand at performing solo and was grateful when, even though he was a newcomer, people were more than willing to give him a chance.

For his set in Pune, he will be performing for about two hours and his songs will be spread across three to four genres.

Gulshan has written about 10 songs of his own till date and his inspiration, he tells us, changes every day. He loves listening to a diverse range of artists and the Mumford and Sons are his latest favourites. Ask him if there is anything challenging about being a musician and he almost immediately starts listing out things. “Making music isn’t like having a fixed job. Every day is something new and more creative than what you did yesterday. Since there isn’t a fixed pay cheque

at the end of the week, you have to improvise and impress people every single time,” he explains. All these challenges actually make the job and every melody a musician creates worthwhile. There is something new to learn every single minute, he adds.

Bollywood is definitely a part of the young boy’s plan and he hopes to do something different to make his mark in the industry since there is already so much talent out there and getting noticed is not always easy. The retro-Bollywood genre of songs that his band performs has a lot to do with deconstructing Bollywood songs and making it their own.

When he started off, Gulshan played at lounges and cafes across the city to make ends meet and now has quite a few projects to call his own. His band has also recently become a seven piece band and currently his main focus is getting the chemistry between this new band members right. Albums, singles and other projects will follow, he assures us.

When: August 26, 9 pm Where: Replay Sports Bar, Baner salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

3

TGS LIFE

HE’S BACKWITH ANOTHER SOULFUL NUMBER ENTERTAINMENT AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

Internet sensation Gajendra Verma talks about his latest release, his upcoming album and what’s most difficult about making music

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

M

usic has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember. Since his elder brother and father were both musicians, he grew up in a house that constantly had music playing and so it has become a huge part of who he is today. Rising to fame for his single Tune Mere Jaana Kabhi Nahi Jaana - Emptiness, which was a huge hit instantly, Gajendra Verma is back yet again with another single which is already winning hearts.

Tera Hi Rahun is a romantic ballad and the very first track from the much-awaited album From Lost to Found. The video for the song has been shot in Shimla and Mumbai and features ex-Miss India Universe Mansi Moghe alongside him.

Telling us a little bit about the song, he says, “This album is my attempt at explaining the different stages of a relationship through music.

While Tera Hi Rahun is just the first song, the others that will follow take you through a journey as if you were in a relationship,” he explains.

Speaking of what he find most challenging while composing a song, he tells us how he feels that lyrics are the most difficult part of making any kind of music. The melody or tune that you come up with is much easier than having to use words to express what you want to say. But lyrics take a composition to a whole new level and are

truly responsible for the recall value of any song.

So, having the talent to put down what you feel in words is a huge task, one that he is still trying to get right, he adds. For Gajendra, his inspiration for the compositions comes from almost any emotion that he might feel. Sometimes even if someone else is feeling something and is able to explain it to him, that too allows him to come up with a song.

After his 12th grade exams, he gave his IIIT entrance exam and enrolled at a few engineering colleges. It was during this time that his brother heard of sound engineering and Gajendra’s interest piqued. While he cannot imagine making a career out of anything other than music, he probably would have been stuck in a dead-end corporate job. Music, he likes to believe, saved him from that kind of life.

His first Bollywood break came with the film Table 21. He had composed a song for Eros Now and the director of the film really liked it and asked him to change it from a sad song to a happy one so that it could be used in the film. As fate would have it, he landed up composing music for all the songs of the film, he tells us while recollecting the ‘amazing’ experience. “All my songs stem from an emotional incident that touched me. Only when I feel something am I able to write. The fact that I get to do this for a living is what makes all the hardships that come along the way worthwhile,” he says.

This powerhouse of talent has various hits to his name like Mann Mera, Tujhse Door Jo Hota Hun, Saajna Re and Phir Suna. Other than Table 21, he has also worked on the fi lm Yaariyaan, Bajate Raho and 3G. There are a few other music directors that he has recently sung for but tells us that it is too early to reveal anything. Lucky Ali is his biggest inspiration from the industry and he hopes that he gets the opportunity to work with him someday. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

‘There is mystery in every character’ Check out Mukesh Jadhav’s next film Pratichhaya, an adaptation of an Agatha Christie novel

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

A

gatha Christie, known for her thriller plays, novels and short stories, still continues to inspire the new generation of directors even after so many years.

Filmmaker Mukesh Jadhav’s directorial venture Pratichhaya is influenced by the author’s one-act play, The Rats. With an interesting cast including Shreyas Talpade, Rahul Dev, Makarand Deshpande and newbies Zenia Starr and Nicholas Brown, the movie is based on the journey through the maze of a woman’s complex sensitivities and feelings that are mysterious yet mesmerising.

The director had earlier worked on the same play while he was in college and he refreshed old memories as he planned a movie from the inspiration but with a new twist.

“I worked on this play with Cyrus Dastur during the initial days. So this is a walk down the memory lane for me. The characters are

extremely mysterious and I had always wanted to make a fi lm on this book,” he says.

Not only do they have a brilliant star cast, the movie is being directed by Mukesh Jadhav who has worked on a number of plays, fi lms, TV serials and documentaries.

Shreyas, Rahul and Makarand play brothers in this fi lm and each of their characters are very different from the kind of roles they usually perform. “Shreyas has been seen in a number of comedy fi lms, so it’s going to be very interesting to see him play a serious character.

Makarand, on the other hand, will play a mute spectator in the fi lm, something that he has never done before. While Rahul’s character will also face many challenges through the course of the fi lm,” shares Mukesh.

The movie offers a plot that’s involves intrigue and a shocking conclusion that was left unanswered in the short play. The story is an exploration of the darker side of female desire, a woman’s passion warped by her jealousy and sense of loneliness. It circles around the fact that the human mind is capable of great evil.

“While most of us would be shocked to see a dead body, there are some people who can hide one for 48 hours in their own house and go about their daily routine like nothing ever happened. There is mystery in every character,” he says.

Mukesh started his career as a theatre actor, then moved on to TV serials and believes in experimenting and exploring the characters that haven’t been touched before. “I was always an actor but I gradually I moved on to directing and loved it. But I definitely want to get back to acting. I want to play interesting characters like one with psychological angles or something that Nawazuddin did in the fi lm Manjhi,” he says. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

SG

4

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

STAGE Pune-based instrumental rock act Celestial Teapot is all set to woo the audience with their music this weekend

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

W

hile there are many bands coming up these days, only a handful might communicate to your soul. One such band that has a reputation of making its listeners slave to their sounds is Pune’s own Celestial Teapot. The band’s focus and priority stands to be not just playing music but enjoying and living every part of it. The band loves to experiment and explore with different sounds and does not believe in sticking to any particular genre.

This four-piece instrumental progressive rock outfit consists of Kartikeya Dixit and Nishant Karve on guitars, Tushar Verma on bass, and Ashwin Naidu on drums.

Every piece of music they play is their way of presenting themselves and what they believe in. They have won several music competitions and were also the runners-up Channel

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

W

hat is the one thing that is bound to make you nostalgic of your childhood, especially in the rainy season? Paper boats are the obvious answer and this is the very memory that IT professional Hemant Baliwala has decided to focus on. Combining the art of story-telling, poetry recitation and theatre, he presents a performance that would be remembered for a long time.

Reciting three stories inspired by what he has seen around him, they use paper boat as a metaphor to beautifully narrate different kinds of relationships. He will be supported by child artist Vedashree Mahajan for one of his performances and Urjita Kulkarni will recite the Marathi poems. The background music for when Hemant recites his stories will be given by Nehi Jain Baliwala and the artwork has been created by Nayika Haideri.

Dealing with everyday incidents and relationships, the three stories that Hemant will narrate are about the relationship between a father and daughter, friends from college and an old couple. “All of these stories are inspired by things I have witnessed and the people I have met or seen. They struck a chord and I

Creating images with music V’s IndiaFest 2015. “Ashwin and I were school friends, who would get together and jam. Later, we decided to form a band, but in the past three years we have been through a lot of line-up changes. Now, we are all buddies,” says Tushar.

Much of their music represents the vivid sounds we hear in our daily lives. Their recently launched debut album One Big Sky is a blend of power and ambient, dreamy soundscapes.

The concept behind the name is the

unified world, harmonised by the sky above us as it knows no boundaries and is at the same time a symbol of endless possibilities, he says. “We believe in creating imagery with our soundscapes and allow listeners to build stories around them. If you love letting your emotions sway in the ambience, this album will make your emotions sing,” he adds.

Each song in the album has something unique for the listeners.

The music is a mix of soft and

heavy tones, with a pinch of guitar progressions, high pitched bass-lines and skilful drumming. “We’ve been very fortunate to work with Marjana Semkina from the supremely talented progressive Rock duo called Iamthemorning from Russia.

She was kind enough to lend her voice on a track called Nacreous off the album. This is something we’ll always cherish,” says Tushar.

The band ensures that they do not compromise on any facet of

their music, art or performance.

They derive inspiration from the band Karnivool and describe themselves as dynamic musicians.

“We haven’t performed a lot but I think the performance at the Harley Rock Riders 2015 in Mumbai was something we’ll not forget very soon.

The experience was overwhelming for us,” he adds.

When: August 21 Where: BlueFrog, Yerawada zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

A performance that has something for everyone have been working on this script for a while now, to make sure that it is just the way it must be,” he shares.

Story-telling, for him, is much more than a hobby. He has always wanted to pursue a career that allowed him to speak and when he stepped into the IT world, he needed something on the side that fed his passion. The performance, titled The Paperboat Stories, talks about various shades of a relationship especially those that cannot otherwise be defined.

To Hemant, story-telling is both a relaxing and challenging task. With every performance, he gets to explore a different side of story-telling and a better dimension too. He runs workshops for schools and corporates and caters to a very diverse age group.

The art form keeps one’s emotional side alive and is a good way to connect, he believes. “The only thing difficult about being a story-teller is that you must find a way to make your story relatable to every single person

Vedashree Mahajan

Urjita Kulkarni

Hemant Baliwala

in the audience. I do not generally rehearse, just understand the plot of the story and read the scripts a few times. Every time I narrate a story it is different and this is the beauty.

There are absolutely no boundaries or

limitations,” he says. Attending these story-telling sessions is also becoming like a bonding exercise for many and this is something that I have noticed over a period of time, he adds.

The art form, he feels, is once

again finding an audience and he could not be happier about it. There is something for everyone in storytelling and it’s only about exploring it and understanding what kind of stories one can narrate the best, he tells us.

When: August 20, 8:30 pm Where: Gyaan Adab Centre, Kalyani Nagar salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TEJAS GAIKWAD

5

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

SIMPLICITY AT ITS BEST

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

Shreyas Ranka with his daughter

W

hen his son told him he wanted to live in a bungalow, Ashok Ranka almost immediately began working on building one. He put a team on the job, started designing a lot of it on his own and a year or two later had the most magnificent home to welcome his son Shreyas, whenever he returned from boarding school.

A structure that could easily become a tourist attraction, this mammoth pink Rajasthani stone bungalow is a visual treat.

Beautifully replicating one of the bigger palaces of Rajasthan or Udaipur, it is spread across over about 13,400 square feet. Nestled in the noisy lanes of Mukund Nagar, the bungalow easily towers over most others around it because of its height and design and makes you want to step in. “I was very young when I told my father that I wanted to live in a bungalow. He just started building it. Unfortunately, he never lived to see it get completed as he passed away a few months

before it was ready but it is the best memory and gift that I have,” tells us Shreyas, who now looks after the Ranka Jewellers store on Laxmi Road.

While his father never got to live in the house himself, Shreyas, his mother Geeta, wife and 10-month-old daughter are its happy dwellers.

As elegant and grand as it looks from the outside, with a good enough lawn and parking space, the inside of the house is just the opposite. It is simple, minimal and has the comfort of being homely too. As you step in, pushing aside a heavy wooden door which is almost a storey tall, you are welcomed by the living room. With an additional room which serves as another living area behind closed doors to your right and a kitchen and dining area to your left, you can’t help but notice how the interiors capture tradition with a touch of modernity to it.

While there are a few more rooms on this floor, a staircase which is neatly tucked into the corner of the living room leads you to the floor upstairs. This too has three big

rooms all done up with minimal but just the right kind of furniture. A storage space of sorts, one of the rooms on the top floor, has a very colourful door to add just that little bit of spunk to the otherwise simple décor.

The staircase continues to the top leading to some more rooms. On your way from the ground to the first floor, a door leads out onto the terrace too.

The one thing that you will not miss when inside, are the pretty artefacts that own every corner that they are placed in. They have an antique and rustic charm to them. Talking of antique we are instantly reminded of the entrance to the prayer room which is done up in silver with intricate design all over.

It’s been more than a decade since the place was built and the Ranka family has never felt the need to get anything replaced.

While maintaining the place is sometimes a challenge given the space and the innumerable ridges and corners that attract dust, the help around the house is more than capable of handling it all. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

I

t was out of necessity that a young boy stepped into the kitchen for the first time, trying to heat a meal that his mother had cooked for him. Learning how it was all done by looking at his mother and memorizing the instructions she gave him, he slowly even started cooking for himself. This is the story of Mandar Mahdev, who is currently the executive head chef at Conrad Hotel in Pune. Belonging to a middle class family, he did not have help at home who could give him food when he returned from school and so he learned how to do things for himself early on. From toasting bread to making his very first carrot raita, which was his first dish, to inventing new delicacies every other day, he has come a long way. TGS caught up with the super-fun and talented chef to hear of his journey, what his favourite cuisine is and what is the most daunting thing about being a chef. He also offers some helpful advice to aspiring chefs.

He was all of 14 years old when he walked up to his father and very seriously told him that he wanted to be a chef when he grew up. He wanted to make sure that his father had enough time to save up for his hotel management course.

As part of the course, his first internship was at Olive Bar and Restaurant in Mumbai and it was an experience he will never forget. “It generally takes a few years to become executive chef and I became one at the age of 29. It was a huge responsibility and one that has helped me grow tremendously. It has always been and even today continues to be a learning experience,” shares Mandar. The people around him, the experiences he had and the places he travelled to, all contributed towards making him the chef he is today,

VISHAL KALE

INDULGE

The journey from carrot raita to Malvani delicacies

he adds. A magician when it comes to Malvani food, he absolutely loves experimenting with the flavours of the cuisine. This is something that he is always willing to prepare for guests at his home or at the restaurant. But ask him what he loves to eat and Asian food, especially Chinese, is his instant reply.

For Mandar, the inspiration of what he will be making on that day comes from the available ingredients. Another thing that motivates him to get better by the day is the reaction that he gets from the people who eat his food. If they like it, their satisfaction drives him further; if they don’t then he tries to see how he can make it better.

Like every other profession, this one too comes with its own set of challenges.

“My biggest challenge doing what I do is figuring out the perfect balance between what I want to serve people and what they are willing to eat. Being a chef,

PAN SEARED NORWEGIAN SALMON WITH RED ONION BEURRE BLANC

staying updated with what is new in the world of food, especially when you lead a huge team, is also something that is difficult,” he confesses. Nonetheless, he still loves what he does, is extremely passionate about it and cannot imagine another career.

Just as Mandar heads off to the kitchen to get back to work, he leaves us with some very potent piece of advice for aspiring and amateur chefs. He believes that in today’s tech savvy world everyone gets lost in video recipes that go viral on the internet. While it is a good way to learn about food, there is a lot that isn’t shown in these 30-second videos. One shouldn’t concentrate on all of them either. He goes on to say that while it looks like a glamorous job as shown in sitcoms, it is actually quite intense and can take a toll on you if you haven’t got your basics right. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Norwegian Salmon 180gms Caper berries 4nos Avocado 50gms Prawns with tail (18-22 count) 2nos Squids 50gms Cherry tomato 3nos Olive oil 10ml Salt To taste Pepper To taste Fennel leaves Micro greens For Sauce Lemon 20ml White wine 30ml Butter 200gms Salt To taste Pepper To taste For Saffron aioli Egg yolk 1nos Olive oil 110ml Lemon Juice 10ml Saffron .5gms Garlic 1clove Salt To taste Method • Season the Salmon fillet with salt, pepper and olive oil • Season the Prawns and squids with lemon juice, salt, pepper • Peel the avocado and cut in cubes, season it with salt and pepper and set aside • Heat the panadd olive oil sear the Salmon, 4 to 5 minutes per side, skin side to be seared first • Heat pan add olive oil and sauté the prawns and squids cook well then add cherry tomato and caper berries For Sauce • Heat butter and add chopped onion, cook until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add white wine, lemon juice and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until the liquid is reduced to about ¼ cup, about 3-4 minutes.

• Reduce the heat to low, add butter and whisk the butter in until it is completely melted.Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and then remove from heat.

For Saffron aioli • Add saffron to warm water • Blend garlic and olive oil in a blender.

• In a bowl, whisk together egg yolk and lemon juice.

Start whisking briskly, and then start adding the olive oil gradually until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten a bit.

• Increase the oil flow to a constant stream. Once half of the oil is in add saffron mixture. Check for seasoning Plate as shown in the picture

YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN Asian Platter food festival

Asian platter food fiesta is set to fulfill your entire Asian cuisine craving. Chef Jiwan Bhujel who is an expert in Thai cuisine and Chef Amarjeet Kumar who is an expert in Chinese cuisine will be serving you the signature A la carte menu to take your culinary dreams to a new level. The menu includes some lip smacking dishes from Phae Phad Phed, Sweet rice dumpling with coconut to Po choy yam wonton and Classic date strudel.

When: Till August 27 Where: 3 Spices, DoubleTree by Hilton, Chinchwad

Lavish Weekend Brunch

Get ready to start your weekend with an extraordinary weekend brunch with Wynkk- the Lounge. The Brunch includes some lip smacking dishes right from golden pouches, sesame chicken to tequila prawns. So some along and kick start you weekend with a freshly curated menu and some exotic mixes to chill you through the Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

When: August 27 and 28 Where: Wynkk- The Lounge, Near Pune University

Gujarati Thali Festival Sunday Brunch

Here’s a chance to spice up your lazy Sunday afternoon with an explosion of taste, flavour and gourmet cooking.

Head over to the new up market hotel in town, The Crowne Plaza Pune and sample their exclusive menu put together just for this brunch by Chef Ritesh Negi. Promising delicious food and leisurely 5 star experiences for you, this is one appointment that you would want to schedule for your perfect lazy Sunday plan.

When: August 21 Where: The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Bund Garden

Vivanta by Taj Blue Diamond, Pune is all set to take you on special vegetarian journey by hosting ‘De Thali’, from the kitchens of Gujarat. Maharaj Shravan has specially been invited from Vadodara to mesmerise you with some delectable sweet and spicy delights from Gujarat. He will be whipping up some authentic recipes that have been passed on from generations, hence will give you a special sneak peak in the traditional Gujarati Rasoi. The appetising authentic dishes on the thali are Khandvi, Undhiyu, Gujrathi Kadi, Bardoli ki khicidi, Thepla, and many more.

When: Till September 4 Where: Vivanta by Taj Blue Diamond, Koregaon Park

TEJAS GAIKWAD

Your ultimate guide to Thali binging

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

INDULGE

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

P

ut on your most comfortable jeans, a loose top and walking shoes. Keep your day free and head out to one of these restaurants for the ultimate gastronomical bliss.

With a spread rich in flavours and quantity, these joints serve the most scrumptious thali’s and one’s that are different than the rest too. So if you are craving for home-cooked food or a cuisine that is too tedious to make at home, head over to these places and treat yourself guilt free.

SHABREE Bordering on the lines of a fine-dine restaurant, this joint is as authentic and close to Maharashtrian food as it gets. With decor that gives you the feel of being in some Maratha empire, the food too stands out from the other places. Using the best of Maharashtrain flavours and spices this place could be a one stop joint for someone who has never had these delicacies

VISHAL KALE

CHOPSTICKS SPICE MALABAR Even though the name might confuse you with reference to the kind of food served here, don’t even for a minute doubt the quality of flavours that will make way to table. From God’s own country, Kerala, the food here will always be what has been missing from your day. Not at all fancy to look at, the spread here is worth all your time, money and effort to drive down to this place. On weekdays the place serves a thali that comprises of about eight to ten dishes and this almost get tripled on weekends, with the dish count going as high as 28.

Onam is that time of the year when visiting here must be on the top of your to-do list. Eating here is the quickest way to get teleported to Kerala, especially on weekends as they serve you your meal on a banana leaf.

Where: Viman Nagar

before. They serve the food in typical Maratha style copper cutlery that makes the meal a memorable experience. This is the perfect place if you want to have a vegetarian thali. The service is quick, the place is hygienic, and above everything else every mouthful is like a party in your mouth.

Where: FC Road

KHORISA Your go to place for Assamese, Bengali, Oriya and North Eastern food this simple joint in the heart of Kharadi and is a must visit. The description itself can make your mouth-water and the aroma of mustard oil only makes you hungrier. The items in the thali options are not fixed and depend on the season and festivals. You can walk into this place every single day and not be bored by what you will be served with. Even though there are limited options for vegetarians, the dishes that they do serve must be tried at least once by everyone. With an exception of a dish or two the other items in the thali are the same and it is served with a lemon and coriander soup. There are chutneys to pack a punch with the rest of the dishes and desserts too that helps you end your meal on a high note.

Where: Kharadi DRAVIDA’S BRISTO What if you had the option to decide what should be a part of your thali and just how much? To add to this if the preparation is just like what your mother makes at home, it is an added bonus. While this concept is super interesting it is pocket-friendly too. The recipes are those that have been passed down through generations and cover all the states of South India. You can mix something from Tamil Nadu with another dish from Kerala and feel the flavours just burst in your mouth. Since most of the veggies are grown organically, every meal extremely fresh and a pure delight to eat. The ambience too is classy and fun at the same time. Offering you the best of ‘Dakshin’ cuisine, this is the place to be when you crave for some home-cooked food from the south.

Where: Dhole Patil Road salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

By Tushar Rupanavar @tusharrupanavar

T

he young generation of today is said to be too obsessed with mobile phones and gadgets, social networking sites, western music, going out to clubs and pubs and partying, and too little interested in literature, in reading and writing. India has a resplendent literary tradition and it is feared that this is being obscured by new-age fads and distractions, and that our culture is being bypassed and forgotten in the headlong rush of change. Some doomsday prophets may even say that if this trend dominated by smartphones and the Internet continues, a day will dawn when nobody will care about the art of writing, or reading.

But despite the overwhelming intrusion of technology and the Internet into every aspect of our lives, there is a wide section of today’s youth who are intensely involved and interested in expressing themselves through the written word, and giving vent to all the issues that concern them and society at large. Some of them hail from rural backgrounds, others are first generation literates in their families, who have no literary legacy or heritage to speak of. Publishing houses may tend to look askance at them, when they come in with their hand-written manuscripts, and even put them down by questioning their credentials and belittling their ambition and audacity, to get their writing published. A lot of them are first-time writers but they have been able to find an audience for what they have to say, and some of them have had the good fortune to have sold multiple editions of their books, and others have made their mark in realms of popular culture, with their books being used for film scripts and such.

The Golden Sparrow has tracked down a handful of young writers, who are going places on the strength and creative ability with their words.

‘THIS IS THE KIND OF FEEDBACK TO M Y WRITING TH AT CANNOT BE MEASURED IN WORDS’ Sagar Kalsait, 27, is a commerce graduate who also has a Masters in business administration. He happens to be one of the most popular writers of this age, as his books and writing have found widespread acceptance.

His College Gate and Library Friend are books that are at the top of literary popularity charts.

He hails from the small village of Barshi in Solapur district and came to Pune to pursue his MBA. It was the first time that he had been away from the family fold. He found lodgings at a hostel in Karvenagar.

His MBA classmate Amol Dagade used to say that Sagar would go on and do something remarkable. His friend’s comradeship and encouragement were instrumental in his evolution. This eventually resulted in Sagar getting down to devising the plot and writing his first book which he called College Gate.

“My friend Amol kept urging me constantly to do something, that would make all their classmates remain in touch, and keep the memories of their college days alive. So I decided to write a book on our college days.

Everybody liked my idea of writing about our class, which would preserve our memories for posterity. After completing my MBA, I did not take

MEET THE YOUNGSTERS WIELDING THE PEN'S POWE

The musty forgotten b steadily beco of the past everyone is se the digital w newbie wri fact, making in the litera

up a job, but I continued to stay at the hostel for 11 months, while I wrote my first book College Gate. I had written 1500 pages, and showed it to a publisher. But the people there just made fun of me, saying things like ‘who will read your writing? ‘do your consider yourself to be a big writer? ‘have you written anything before and published anything?’ I finally realised how futile it was and I decided to go back to my village Barshi.

A friend helped me type my hand-written manuscript. Another friend then suggested that I meet Ghanshyam Patil of Chaprak publications.

To my good fortune, Patil read my script and agreed to publish College Gate. The book was launched in 2013 by the hands of industrialist DS Kulkarni and writer Milind Joshi were present at the publication of my

book. The first 1000 copies of the book were sold out in a Recently we have published the fourth edition of College also on the verge of being sold out. I have received lots of c who have read College Gate, saying how much they like is an even greater reward than money. Now Baburao B Marathi film producer, is making a film based on my boo is a big achievement for me.

By seeing the overwhelming response of youths f I decided to write my second book Library Friend. Pe youngsters, purchased Library Friend in such huge numb one month we had to bring out a second edition. Now I

LATUR YOUTH USES HIS PEN TO RESOLV E BURNING ISSUES Ghanshyam Patil, 32, hails from Latur district in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra. He used to work as a newspaper vendor during his school days. When he was in college, Killari in Latur district was devastated by a deadly earthquake, which left thousands of people dead and a countless number of people homeless. Help poured in for the victims of the quake from all over the country and abroad, but there was misappropriation on a large scale in the distribution of the aid. Ghanshyam wrote about the widespread corruption in the Killari rehabilitation process, with valid evidence, in the Marathi daily Tarun Bharat. This happened to be Ghanshyam’s maiden foray into writing and his article evoked a huge response from the readers, to the extent that Ghanshyam became somewhat of a household name in Latur and the nearby areas. But on the other hand, he was even threatened by some politicos over his allegations of corruption, and fearing for his life, Ghanshyam then moved to Pune.

Dakhalpatra is the first book Ghanshyam has authored.

Shriram Pachindre, the renowned Marathi writer, journalist,

and president of Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya was present at the publication of Ghanshyam’s book Ghanshyam launched the Marathi daily Cha he was just 20, becoming the youngest editor of a d to financial troubles, Ghanshyam had to stop its and later converted it into a monthly magazine. immensely popular with readers, and has a sizeabl The Diwali issues of Chaprak have received a numb over the last three years.

About his journey as writer, Ghanshyam said, “ that the young generation is not interested in writ contrary, the young generation is very serious about especially about current events. The language of th is criticised by some senior people, but how can t of youngsters be like that of writers of the previous This generation has access to multiple language globalisation, so their language is an amalgamation languages, and it is very relevant. I plan to work wi languages in the coming days. Initially, I plan to sta in Hindi, Kannada and Telugu languages very soon

RAHUL RAUT AND VISHAL KALE

y smell of books may ome a thing st but not selling out to word. These iters are, in g their mark ary world

ER

very short time. e Gate, which is calls from people e the book. This Bhor, the famous ok, which I think

for my writing, eople, especially bers, that within am writing two

a Sammelan, k. haprak, when daily. Owing s publication, . Chaprak is le readership. ber of awards

“It is not true ting. On the t writing, and his generation the language s generation? es thanks to n of all these ith 15 Indian art a quarterly n.”

‘SOCI AL MEDI A H AS BECOME MORE POWERFUL TH AN THE TR A DITIONAL LITER ATURE’ Girish Jangame, 24, completed his Bachelor of Engineering and now works at the IT company Atos India Pvt Ltd at Hinjawadi. He is the son of a farmer and is fond of writing poetry describing farmers’ conditions. Shabda Me, is a book of poetry written by Girish Jangame, which has become very popular. During college days, Girish wrote a poem called Kunbyache Por (Farmer’s Son) which went viral on social media, and got immensely popular overnight. So popular was the poem that it was put in a museum and came to the notice of former union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar at Vidya Pratishthan in Baramati. Girish has also written Charoli (Marathi literature in verse format) which is also extremely popular. Famous Marathi film director Nagraj Manjule has shown his appreciation for Girish’s writing.

Girish said, “I come from a village and farming background.

Though I work in an IT company, it is only for my bread and butter, but my actual love is writing poetry. I love to write poems on farmers, their hardships and sufferings. As poetry is the simplest way to reach readers with minimum text, I like to write about these farmers’ suffering and on their lives. An engineering education and IT job bring a lot of pressure to the mind, so my poems are like a literary relief. A lot of my friends love my poems. Now I am writing poems on women’s issues and on love as well. Marathi literary festival chairman Sripal Sabnis was present at the publication of my first book of poetry.

Poetry actually needs a combination of thinking, emotion and action.

A poet must have great observation power. He must be able to create a symmetry and syntax of words which describe people’s suffering and lives. Poetry makes human life more colourful and cheerful.

“It is not true that today’s youth are not writing or reading.

A majority of today’s youth express themselves on social media.

Platforms have changed so there is no need to always write a book, but social media has become more powerful than traditional literature.” more books, titled Kashinath-Vishwanath, which speaks about politics, and Krushanam Vande Jagatguru, which focuses on spirituality. I write on my weekly holidays, Saturdays and Sundays. I work with the Bank of New York to earn my livelihood but writing is very near to my heart.

To say that today’s youngsters are not writing or reading, is wrong. It is my personal experience, that more and more literature is coming out compared to earler times. This shows that today’s youth are writing.

‘I H AV E WRIT TEN ABOUT W H ATEV ER M Y COMMU NIT Y IS FACING AND READERS LOV E IT’ Hanmant Kurhade, 24, has a degree in History. He belongs to the Wadar community of Maharashtra, who traditionally work in stone mines. This Wadar community is still very backward and the government has given reservation to the community into Scheduled Caste (SC). But there is still a long way for the community to come into the mainstream as they have very little representation in education and jobs.

Hanmant’s book ‘Dagad Khanitil Udhwasta Ayushya’, dwells on his community and their hardships. This book is very popular in these days. Hanmant has broken the traditional, sophisticated way of writing in Marathi, on love and romance.

He writes on how the Wadar community has been traditionally stuck in working in stone mines, which is very dangerous and hard work. He has brought the Wadar community into the mainstream by writing this book, and showed that people want to read about people’s sufferings rather than love and romance.

Hanmant said, “Since my school days, I have liked to write, I wrote articles on hostel life when I was studying in a resident school. This is how I was introduced to writing. My family members are still working in stone mines, and even work at road construction sites. Why not write on my own community’s sufferings, I thought. This is how I wrote Dagad Khanitil Udhwasta Ayushya, a book which is now popular. I have written about whatever my community is facing and surprisingly readers love it.”

‘I THINK WRITING IS THE BEST WAY TO EXPRESS ONESELF ’ Sagar Surwase, 27, is a commerce graduate, and has completed a Masters in Journalism and hails from Pandharpur. He does not have any literary background. He loves writing on political persons and his book Eknathji Ranade: Jivan ani Karya, is now very popular. Eknath Ranade travelled across the country to raise funds for the construction of the Swami Vivekanand memorial at Kanyakumari. He took all the necessary permissions of state and centre to set up the world class rock memorial at Kanyakumari where Vivekanand meditated.

Now Sagar is writing on political history and power transfers through elections held in Maharashtra since 1950 to 2014. This will be first political book which speaks on how political transitions took place in Maharashtra since Independence.

Sagar said, “It is not true that todays youths is not writing or reading. Today’s youngsters are expressing themselves on social media. There are various ways for expression like fasting, agitations and giving speeches, but I think writing is the best way to express oneself. I started writing on various issues and that is how I became a writer. One of the best examples about today’s youth writing is Kopardi Nirbhaya, about the brutal rape and murder of a young girl. Initially mainstream media did not take cognisance of this news, but some youths wrote massively on the issue, and mainstream media and even policy makers took cognisance of the Kopardi incident.”

'A WRITER’S THOUGHT PROCESS IS CONTINUOUS AND HE GETS HIS M ATERI AL BY OBSERV ING THINGS’ Venkatesh Kalyankar, 27, is a Computer Science graduate, he has a PG Diploma in Computer Management, and Diploma in Journalism. He hails from the drought-hit Beed district of Marathwada region of Maharashtra. He has no literary background but has been so interested in literature, that he even sacrificed a career in computer science for it.

Venkatesh introduced Saransh Kada (Abstract Stories) writing to Marathi literature. This book of short stories is very popular among the youths and the general public. Venkatesh is one of the leading bloggers in Marathi language, and thousands of readers follow his blog.

He said, “Marathi writers are not looking at writing as a career option.

There are simply bloggers whose blogs are being followed by thousands and yet they do not not get advertisements. Whereas there are some English bloggers who have fewer followers but are able to rope in big advertisements. I believe in short pieces, where there are fewer words but there is a great message. Today everybody is busy with their own routines and problems and so they get less time to read. People decide to read if they see few words, but interesting articles. or stories A writer’s thought process is continuous and he gets his material by observing things.”

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

Maruti-Suzuki Ignis coming this Diwali

Jeep India launch preponed to Aug 30 The iconic Jeeps will be here in time for the festive season

W

hile we were expecting the Jeep brand to finally and officially make an entrance in India on Sep 1, FCA has preponed the launch to Aug 30. The news came just last week, as we were hearing that the Supreme Court has scrapped the ban on diesel vehicles over 2000cc in Delhi. Which is just as well, considering the machismo quotient of the Jeep lineup that’s coming to India.

First to come will be the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Wrangler Unlimited. Both legendary and capable SUVs. The Grand Cherokee will be available in two trims using a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine, and also in an SRT performance model, using a ridiculous 6.4-litre HEMI V8. The Wrangler Unlimited will us the same diesel engine with a full complement of 4x4 features and an automatic transmission.

Stubby pseudo-SUV on track for a festive launch. Expect petrol only

W

e’ve risked our lives to get you the picture you see here of the Maruti-Suzuki Ignis concept. The concept was showcased earlier this year at the Delhi Auto Expo, and the audience was expectedly huge, with stampeding crowds trying to get a first peek. Chances are the lines aren’t going to get any shorter this Diwali, when the car is made available to the general public.

The Ignis follows a pattern set by the successful Renault Kwid and followed up by the Mahindra KUV100 -- it’s a beefy-looking little hatch with a

jacked-up ground clearance, apparently making it an ‘SUV’. The Ignis comes well under 4m in length, is slimmer than the Kwid but is taller. The concept in Delhi looked rather cool with slightly flared wheel arches and blacked-out alloy rims. Expect something more staid on production vehicles.

We expect the Ignis to come with a 1000cc turbopetrol engine, with a diesel coming later. Being a Maruti product, prices are likely to be very competitive.

The Ignis will be sold through Maruti’s premium Nexa dealerships.

NEW HYUNDAI ELANTRA COMING AUG 23 Updated model is bigger, lighter

Y

ou don’t see very many Elantras on the road, but you should: it’s a very capable sedan. The new model is expected to land on August 23, and dealerships should already be willing to take your booking money, albeit unofficially.

The new Elantra will be longer and wider than the outgoing model, as well as being based on a lighter overall platform. Expect more interior space and features -- something Hyundais always provide in abundance. Petrol and diesel options will be available, likely generating more power this time round. Expect 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR ANSWERS?

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

It is said that loneliness strikes a person worse than any other ailment. Urmila Deshpande’s debut book Ananya weaves a story around just that

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

U

rmila Deshpande launched her debut book Ananya – A Journey Towards Light in Pune. An avid reader herself, she thought about bringing together mystery and philosophy into one book. Ananya is a work of fantasy fiction and takes one through the life of a young girl who has strong views about the divine forces. Being a housewife and a tarot card reader, Urmila has closely dealt with depression. Hence the book is a heart-warming journey of a young girl who chooses to battle life’s atrocities like a true warrior.

It beautifully enfolds her journey with her family, friends and the unknown, which she takes deep interest in and decides to explore to find answers to various questions that have occupied her mind. “Somewhere in our life, we come across a lot of questions, to which we don’t have answers.

Th rough this book, I have tried to answer them. I have tried to narrate a soul’s journey from childhood. It showcases the war between good and evil and how good wins irrespective of the circumstances,” she says.

The book revolves around the orphan girl who her grandfather considers to be a cursed child. Raised by adoptive parents, one day she finds herself going through a transformation followed by a series of mysterious incidents, a strong force of destiny, something that is beyond logic or reasoning. In this journey towards light, she meets people who introduce her to the loving divine energy as well as the dark energy of the devil. “Ananya was something that happened to me on its own. I experienced extreme joy while writing it down and would really like people to read it and be encouraged. A lot of people might also find answers for the questions they are searching.”

The story takes a turn when this logical young girl finds herself on the verge of insanity. She cannot understand what these mysterious forces are.

She is confused if the divine energy is blessing her or is it her mind that is playing tricks at the behest of the devil. “Th is book is the result of a desire to express myself. I have been working on this for the past 10 years and I am glad people are appreciating my efforts,” she says. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

EVENTS AROUND THE TOWN Mitra Foundation organises ‘Yuvakruti – 2016’

Mitra Foundation, a city based organisation that strives to promote Indian art and music organises ‘Yuvakruti’ as one of its programs to encourage young budding artists.

The evening will start with the flute performance by upcoming artist Saurabh Vartak who is a disciple of Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.

He will be accompanied by Shikhar Naad Qureshi on Djembe.

Later, upcoming vocalist Sayali Satyajit Talwalkar, disciple of Arati Ankalikar and Padma Talwalkar will perform.

When: August 21 Where: Tilak Smarak Mandir, Tilak Road

Jhanjhar dance festival

Urvashi Kala Srishti will be celebrating their annual day by presenting a special dance program titled as ‘Jhanjhar’.

This program will include various classical as well as contemporary dance performances. It includes Pure Odissi

with Mangala Charan, Tribhangi and Chawka, few Kathak performances from Jaipur Gharana, Bharatnatyam with Adavus, Pushpanjali, Ganesh Stooti, Allaripu and Sabdam to name a few. Students will also perform on few Bollywood Songs, Rajasthani Folk Music making this celebration a wholesome dance event in Pune.

When: August 20 Where: Bhimsen Joshi Kalagriha, Aundh

Poetry Fete & Workshop

Bullock Cart Poetry and High Spirits are celebrating the art of poetry a special workshop and a performance. Poems and Scrolls is a poetry workshop, where you create your poems and paint them on handmade scrolls. You take away a beautiful scroll with your poem on it. The scrolls, paint and brushes will be provided by them. The poetry mentors will teach you tricks of performance poetry and written poetry.

Poetry is Protest is A set of poems presented on the topic of protest, woven together with theatre. With a mix of poetry and talent from various backgrounds our poets - Priyam Redican, KC Vlaine, MJ Tarun, Roma Kale Breeti Sarkar and Chandrakant Redican bring together their spoken word

creations tackling various causes from homosexuality to the environment to trees to polygamy.

When: August 21 Where: The High Spirits, Koregaon Park

Short Film Festival

La Fémis, a French state film school that trains students in various disciplines of filmmaking in Paris, is celebrating its 30th anniversary. To celebrate this occasion, the Alliance Française de Pune has partnered with NFAI, Institut Français Paris and La Femis to bring you their students’ best short films of the last three decades.

When: August 26 and 27 Where: NFAI main auditorium, Law College Road

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Thinking out-of-the-box

Striving to do something unique has become quite a dull affair with every one jumping the bandwagon. However, some people go above and beyond when it comes to creativity with their business ideas. Here are a few online start-ups that are catching the eye thanks to their unique ideas

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

T

hese days, start-ups take care of a lot more than your basic needs. If you have a food craving in the middle of the night, a food delivery app will come to your rescue.

For all shopping needs there is enough and more options and many grocery sites too, if that’s what you need. And for your housing needs, there are a lot of real estate websites doing the rounds these days. But here we list out a few start-ups that will fulfil needs that you didn’t even realise you had. They are all quirky, eccentric, equally innovative and are sure to solve some of the most unusual problems.

NEVER EAT ALONE If you can cook up a yummy meal and like entertaining people at home, this start-up is just for you. Feazt is a platform that connects people who would like to throw a small lunch or dinner party and others who would like to attend it. Apart from the money, it helps the guests explore local cultures, sample your food and you also get to make new friends. It’s just like going to a hotel but at home. “During our childhood days, my family would meet for a number of get-togethers.

Coming from a joint family, I have always cherished this experience. However, as we grew up, this form of socialisation started fading away. People became totally engrossed with their hectic schedule, leaving no space for socialisation. So in order to revive this culture, I started Feazt,” says founder Gopi Kishore Byluppala.

By being part of the community as a host or a guest, users get to create and experience incredible dining experiences. Once a host is decided, the menu is put up on the website and those interested can sign up. The hosts also have the privilege of choosing their guests, and the freedom to choose the number of guests for the event. “We aim to connect diverse people, not over the virtual world but in the real world over dining tables to build relationships over food from across the world,” he adds.

REMEMBERING THE DEPARTED When someone passes away, all that remains is memories and those too tend to fade with time. Shradhanjali.com is a portal that helps you relive the lives of your dear departed. Here you can upload, store, and share biographies, videos, family details and photographs of those who have passed on. Besides, their friends can also post condolences and receive messages on death anniversaries.

To create a profile of a dear one, they charge the nominal registration fee of Rs 5,000. “The idea came when, one day, we were served snacks on a newspaper obituary column page. We felt a bit disturbed as it looked so insulting to see tribute pages being used to serve snacks. We thought of starting something for our loved ones who are no more.

A way for us to remember them and maintain their sanctity,” says Vivek Vyas, founder of Shradhanjali.com. His main aim is to create a platform where people can honour the

life of dear ones by sharing pictures, videos, life history, family tree, and upload all memories. “There is so much history that gets lost with every generation. With Shradhanjali.com, your children will know their fore-fathers, their achievements and roots of the family that they belong to,” he adds. The biography and condolences can be penned down in ten different languages too including, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Gujarati, English, Malayalam, Tamil, Bangla and Kannada, and many more.

INVITE FOREIGN GUESTS AT WEDDINGS Indian weddings have always interested western travellers and not every foreign tourist is lucky enough to get an invite to attend a big fat Indian wedding. Besides, Indians, who are known to spend big bucks on their weddings, wouldn’t mind having a few guests over.

This is the exact purpose of the start-up JoinMyWedding. They help giving western tourists a glimpse into Indian culture and it also helps the bride and groom recover some of the costs of the

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

events. This online platform connects couples that are about to get married and travellers who want to experience something different on their holidays. The idea for it came to Australian start-up mentor Orsi Parkanyi, 33, when a friend told her she was travelling to India for a wedding. “For cultural experiences, nothing equals a wedding, more so in India. You don’t need friends all over the world

to experience a different religion. You only need to buy a wedding invite, get dressed and attend,” she says.

The site aims to be a one-stop shop for financing any wedding.

This can be done either via selling tickets, or by asking your invited guests to contribute to the wedding prior the event happens. The contribution fund helps the couple to cover the expenses which GIFT A CUSTOMISED APP Greeting cards and long Facebook posts are so old fashioned. At a time when smartphones have taken over the world, why not gift your loved one a personalised app. Giftract helps you gift an app to delight your friends and family. The customisation of the app could be across multiple levels a quiz, scavenger hunt, timer, calendar, and games.

Here you can pick any product ranging from digital invites to virtual scavenger hunts just as you desire. Since, apps aren’t complete without themes, you get to choose from a range of themes to add glamor to your gift. You can even record your own video or a special message. Once done, your app is ready to be gifted. “It started a year ago when my partner and I were looking for farewell gifts for our friends. We realised that gifts like perfumes don’t communicate what we feel about that person, whereas we are not creative and crafty enough to make a card by ourselves. Hence the idea of making gifting interactive, personalised and portable came into existence,” says Sahil Vora, the cofounder.

Whether it’s your bestie’s birthday, your parents’ wedding anniversary, a Merry Christmas wish, Father’s Day, or if you just want to make that special someone feel even more special, Giftract has you covered. If a user likes an app, they can view the demo and make a purchase.

The products range from Rs 650 to Rs 4,000.

WIFI AT TEMPLES Pujashoppe.com, a portal offering puja samagri, seems to be going all out to please Gods and devotees alike. They are now offering free WiFi for 30 minutes at 3,000 major temples across the country. So if you ever wanted to share a perfect selfie with the Gods on social media or wanted to capture the aarti live, expensive mobile data will not hold you back.

The site has come up with innovative ways to take your worship to the next level with the amalgamation of technology. From providing kits and essential samagri for puja to help you connect with the best purohit online, from lending a hand to complete your worshipping while you are miles away from home or to gift

a loved one with the symbol of well-being, Puja Shoppe does everything for you. “Having been born into a family of pandits, who organize religious rituals, we had grown up seeing the difficulties faced by those in this extremely unorganized profession. It was with the aim of bringing an impression of organization in it that he and her friend Amushree Jha set up an e-commerce site that enables booking of pandits online for ceremonies,” says founder Dr Tapas Mallick.

The main idea of the website is to help devotees and temples to connect with each other. “Devotees visiting the temple can log on to the temple webpage free of cost while visiting the temple,” he adds.

are due before the big day, such as buying flight tickets for the honeymoon or pay for the dream outfit, etc. Tickets are being sold upwards of Rs 20,000. “Each guest will get accommodation and all access across three days of festivities including the haldi ceremony, sangeet, baarat procession, pheras, reception and vidaai,” she adds.

SOME OTHER UNIQUE VENTURES Themojaclub.in: The Moja Club is a place for sock lovers, for people who love surprising their feet with funky new socks every month.

Their subscription plans are of two kinds — pay monthly or pay up front for three months, six months or a year, at Rs 399 per month.

Each box contains one pair, and you can’t choose a design — what you get is a surprise.

Doorguy.com: Ordered a ton of stuff using those awesome ecommerce discounts and cashbacks, but too busy in meetings at work to collect it? Package too heavy to lug all the way home from work? Doorguy to the rescue!

An on-demand, night-time delivery service that solves the last-mile problem of missed deliveries in cities, DoorGuy hand-delivers your packages when you’re actually home.

Civilsdaily: Thousands of young Indians spend years preparing for the civil services exam, and one subject that trips them over is the general awareness. Civilsdaily helps you prepare for the uber-competitive Indian Civil Services exam by curating and compiling news and daily affairs and quizzes on an easy app.

AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

SHOPPING

CLASS APART

14

TEJAS GAIKWAD

SP

TGS LIFE

These fashion finds by Sneha Gopalan, a zumba instructor, are so classy that you’d want to own them too. Not only do they define sophistication and elegance, but are sure to leave you looking trÊs chic at every formal party

Best in blue

This dress is sure to get some attention when you go out partying. Wear a simple gold bracelet and remember to add light lipstick to complete your look.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins, Rs 4,045 Shoes: Steve Madden, Rs 6,000

Touch of white

This is an ideal chic getup for any formal party.

Pair them with off-white stud earrings, and heels and you are ready to shine through the evening.Dress: Dorothy Perkins, Rs 4,690 Shoes: Forever 21, Rs 3,000

Go classy

This dress is perfect for a formal evening. Pair it with beige heels and balck studs and it is sure to give you the confidence to charm anyone in the room.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins, Rs 4,090

The all black look

Go chic in pink

Walk through the party in style with this simple and very elegant skirt. Team up with white or black crop top for a flawless look.

Top: Forever 21, Rs 1,500 Skirt: Dorothy Perkins, Rs 3,890

Want to make an edgy fashion statement? This simple yet trendy dress will make you shine in the party. Team it with black stilettos and minimal jewellery to complete your look.

Dress: Dorothy Perkins, Rs 6,090 Watch: Casio Sheen, Rs 10,000

‘Today I realise the importance of education’

TGS LIFE

AUGUST 20-26, 2016

There is absolutely no shortcut to succeeding or even growing as a person no matter what your profession is, he believes. His work for him is his hobby and it is what he likes to do even in his spare time. The best way to learn is by constantly working on an issue and finding the easiest solution to your problem. No matter what career you choose your difficulty level depends on how much you are willing to work.

Ask him about the one thing he regrets in life and he says, “Today I realise the importance of education. I want to open a big showroom but it will involve hiring people and because I am not educated I will never know if they are deceiving me or not. Had I studied some more, I could have better chased my dreams today,” he confesses. Narsing’s son who is in the second year at the moment is studying Computer Science and aspires to take up a government job in the future.

It is what will bring him some stability in life, he believes.

— As told to Salonee Mistry

FEATURES

TEJAS GAIKWAD

C

an you picture an eight year old ploughing a field under the scorching sun for the whole day? This is exactly what Narsing Govindgiri did after his father who was a farmer and labourer met with an accident and lost his eyesight. Dropping out of school was the only option back then as it was an all-hand on deck situation.

His four elder sisters, mother, and he did everything they could to make ends meet.

It was only when he was about 18-years-old in 1972 that he moved to Pune to live with his uncle. For five years his uncle took care of him and provided him with everything he needed. Narsing learned the right and wrong of being a mechanic from Amrut Parate who he calls his guru. “I owe my uncle a lot. Had it not been for him I would never have managed to come to this city on my own and neither be able to set up my own garage,” he shares. He now runs a relatively big garage in Lokmanya Nagar by the name of Speedway Garage, in the parking lot of a building.

PUNE

unekar

City celeb chat Monsoon fashion hacks Name: Bhushan Patil Profession: Actor Three words to describe me: I am Human I love my job because: It thrills me to reach out and connect with the world Best advice I’ve received: Dont underestimate urself as well as others When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: Shoes What’s your inner animal?: I’m a scorpion by birth so I’m gonna go with that.

The first thing you notice about an attractive person: Their overall charisma The perfect start to a day is: chanting ‘OM’ Your current fourwheeler: Honda Civic Your fitness regimen: Eat right ,Work hard, play harder Your food indulgence: Loads of protein Books by your bedside: Series of Shiva trilogy The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: Twitter, if I am not checking autobiography of legends Your favourite city: New York after Mumbai Ideal holiday: Backpacking through Europe.

(As told to Salonee Mistry)

A

heavy rain can ruin your perfect makeup and outfit, but with these techniques by Rashmi Modi, who specialises in handcrafted leather bags you can put your attire right back on and fight your way through rain. · Avoid wearing white pants or Rashmi Modi palazzos during the rainy season, if at all you want to wear to wear, wear a crop top or an off shoulder with shorts. · Show skin strategically, if showing cleavage, then avoid showing legs and vice versa. · Accessorise in colours, wear a neutrals shade top and bottom and style it up with coloured shoes and bags to give that pop. · Stash a scarf in your bag once a while as it’s an ultimate accessory and wear it on a simple tee to look elegant and sophisticated. · Make a list before you go for shopping, in that way you know exactly what you need to buy instead of buying things which you don’t require. · Layer your necklaces - Try multiple strands and long chains in different materials and contrast and designs to make a statement. · If not sure about which shoes will go with the outfit, always go for nude pumps, they will make your legs look longer too. · Mix your prints - Combining colours, scale, and patterns in a way that looks dynamic takes practice, but there are some basic tricks to get it right. You can

STYLE GURU

wear two prints that repeat the same colours or mix a large-scale pattern with a smaller one. · Try a waist band or belt to give you shape and structure to the body. · Always pair a loose top with tight pants or the other way round, don’t pair two loose pieces together, it will make you look much bigger than you normally are.

As told to Zainab Kantawala

HE WANTS TO DABBLE WITH CHARACTERS

TGS LIFE AUGUST 20-26, 2016 PUNE

BUZZ

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

M I would love to play villain next: Jacqueline

S

he may be best known for her glamourous and girlnext-door roles but actress Jacqueline Fernandez says she now wants to try her hands at playing the villain in fi lms.

The 31-year-old Dishoom star, who has starred in fi lms like Aladin, Housefull series and Kick among others in her seven-year-long Bollywood career, feels it is time to try something new. "I would love to play a villain because this year also my roles have been very glamorous or very girl-next-door. I feel now I want to get into more villain kind of

roles," Jacqueline said.

When asked about her favourite genre of cinema, the Sri Lankan beauty, who will be next seen in superhero action fi lm A Flying Jatt, says she enjoys fantasy the most.

"I love fantasy and anything to do with superhero or fairy tales or even magic, I just love that."

Directed by Remo D'Souza, A Flying Jatt will see Tiger Shroff in the role of a desi superhero.

Hollywood actor Nathan Jones also stars in the fi lm which will hit theatres on August 25.

Jacqueline praised her co-star

I am not doing 'Aankhein' sequel

B

ollywood star Akshay Kumar has rubbished reports of doing a sequel to his 2002 hit heist thriller drama Aankhein. "I am not aware about it (the sequel). I am not doing it," Akshay said in an interview here.

The fi rst fi lm, directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, also starred Amitabh Bachchan, Paresh Rawal, Arjun Rampal and

Sushmita Sen. Meanwhile, gossip mills have constantly been abuzz that Akshay has given a go-ahead to Divya Khosla Kumar's next movie which will be in the romantic genre.

While the actor recently denied his involvement wuth the project, the rumours are still alive. So, reiterating his previous statement, Akshay has again clarified that he is not doing the movie. "I don't know anything as Divya has not told me that I am doing the fi lm.

It's good if she has said anything to you (media).

In that case you should ask her what is that fi lm," he said.

"I haven't signed anything (and) I don't know anything about it. So it's better you ask to her only." Divya has earlier directed Yaariyan and Sanam Re featuring youngsters.

Tiger for being supportive on the sets and called him a professional actor. "I've learnt a lot from Tiger.

He is very professional and talented.

So, that was a fantastic experience for me to be able to work with him."

The actress says she is open to Hollywood projects and it is her dream to work with The Revenant star Leonardo DiCaprio, who is her childhood celebrity crush.

"I idolised Leonardo DiCaprio ever since I was a kid when I fi rst watched Romeo + Juliet. I have been his biggest fan all my life," she said.

PTI

'I play the coolest villain in ''Baywatch''

A

ctress Priyanka Chopra says she will be seen as a "bombshell" of a villain in her upcoming Hollywood fi lm debut Baywatch. The actress, in a recent online chat organised by Twitter New York, shared about her character in the fi lm, which also stars Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Zac Efron.

Priyanka, 34, plays the main antagonist in the movie, set for May, 2017 release.

Priyanka is confident the movie will be a blockbuster. "I'm very excited about the movie because I was a big fan of the show. I think 'Baywatch' as a show is much more popular around the world.

ost recently seen in the web-series Shaadi Boys, Rishabh Chaddha is back to tickle your funny bone.

Known for his roles in Delhi Belly and most recently Khoobsoorat, the young boy is fast finding his own niche in the industry. He was also seen in fi lms like Drishyam and the horror thriller show Khauf Begins… Ringa Ringa Roses marked his entry into the telly world too.

With the intention of playing as many different characters as he can, he took on the role of Mukesh in Shaadi Boys as it is something that he had not attempted before.

Currently on a vacation, we had a quick conversation with him about why he decided to become an actor, his upcoming projects and what, he feels, is the most challenging about doing what he does.

Speaking of his role in Shaadi Boys,, he says that Mukesh is a straight-forward, blunt, spontaneous, endearing, fl irtatious and opportunist kind of guy. He has absolutely no bad intentions, lives in the moment, is carefree and has a sense of humour too. It was the versatility of this character that urged him to take up the role.

“There's a lot of thought that goes into deciding if I want to take up a project or not. I read the script, think of what light I will be perceived in after the role, how different it is from the things I have already done and how crucial the part is to the script and story. More importantly, I stick to my gut feeling and almost always follow my heart,” he says. At this juncture of my career, it is important that I be able to prove my metal as an actor and choosing the right scripts is step one, he adds.

It was because of his mother that Rishabh decided to take up acting as a career. She has always wanted to see him on the screen and, the mamma’s boy that he is, he decided to make it happen. After a point, he too liked watching himself on the big screen and so there has been no looking back since.

Ask him what are the challenges that come along the way and he says, “Being an actor is in itself very challenging. One deals with too many emotions. You tend to want to always experience more whether it is good or bad.” He feels that it all helps you get where you want to be and your every move determines your future prospects. The fact that I get paid to do what I love

is a huge plus point. I also get to meet different kinds of people, visit different places and be a different person through my characters.

What more could I ask for?”

Rishab’s dream role would be to play himself in a fi lm that has action, drama and romance.

His goal is to reach a position in his career where there are people waiting to collaborate with him.

From all the characters that he has played till date, he has quite a few favourites. He loves the one where he portrayed a 30-year-old writer in a play, on screen the innocent romantic character called Vansh was his favourite and he has enjoyed playing the character of Mukesh too. He has already begun shooting for another web show called Toy Boys and can’t wait to get started on the one where he stars alongside Shakti Kapoor. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com